


Windows to the Soul

by TashaMockingjay



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-04-22
Packaged: 2017-12-09 05:04:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TashaMockingjay/pseuds/TashaMockingjay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annabeth must make the hardest choice she may ever make. Basically the ending of TLO slightly changed</p>
            </blockquote>





	Windows to the Soul

Percy raised the dagger above Luke. My heart dropped into my stomach like an icy avalanche, and I sank to me knees.  
“PERCY, NO! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” Thalia screamed.   
I just sat there, unable to move. Why? Why would he do that? Already weak from the previous battle, Percy stood no chance against the reforming Titan. And if Kronos took over completely, then Luke would be gone forever. It was my fault. I’d deemed at least one of them dead.  
I couldn’t lose them. Not both of them.  
Percy glanced at me, remorse and worry in his eyes, but he nodded confidently and mouthed ‘Trust me.’  
Trust him? I thought of all the times I had. All the times we’d saved each other’s backs. Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl - the most unlikely friendship in the camp. But that’s just what we were. Friends. I swallowed, my throat as dry as the bloodless bodies that were scattered across Manhattan, and nodded.   
‘I do.’ I mouthed back.   
Thalia watched our exchange with a manic glare. She struggled against the hold of her fellow Huntress’ as she fought to get to Percy and Luke. She turned to me, pleading in her eyes.  
“Annabeth! Annabeth, please, you can’t let him do this! He’ll die! He’ll die because of you! Can you really live with another dead friend on your conscience?!”  
I faltered. What was I doing? Of course I couldn’t let Percy kill Luke. Before I could even protest, Luke spoke up.  
“Give me the dagger.” he said in a voice barely audible.   
I thought of the strong, confident tone that chased away my nightmares, and my heart broke a little more. How had he come to this? The broken man on the floor wasn’t my Luke. And that was the thought I held onto as I breathed my reply.  
“Give it to him Percy.”  
I felt all eyes in the room turn to me. Percy and Thalia wore identical masks of surprise and horror, and Kronos’ men observed me with shocked snarls. And then there was Luke. He showed no fear, or horror in his eyes. There was no disappointment there too, to my great relief. He gazed upon me with a look of respect, a look of love, and a look of pride. Luke smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. I knew this was the end. There would be no heartfelt speeches, no apologies, no goodbyes. Just this moment right here, both of us battered and bloody, ten feet apart. And two smiles that would stay in the others’ heart until their dying day.  
And, in Luke’s case, that was today.  
Percy was still frozen, the dagger aloft. He put his arms down slowly, his eyes locked onto me.  
“Annabeth, are you sure?”  
I nodded, then gave him a weak, sarcastic smile.  
“Trust me.” I whispered.  
Luke cried out in pain, and tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t stand this. I echoed Thalia’s look of desperation towards Percy. Mirrored expressions for opposite ends of the spectrum.  
“Percy, please. He’s too strong. If Kronos reforms, then we’re all dead. Please. Please Percy.” Luke’s plea was as agonized as mine or Thalia’s.   
Thalia screamed again, and fought even harder against the iron vice grips that restrained her. Percy refused to look at her, and instead kept his eyes locked on me.   
“You’re sure?”  
Was I? I didn’t know. Could I really say yes? Could I really give the go ahead to my oldest friends death? Guilt burned inside me. I’d given the go ahead that night on the hill, when I refused to join him. When I refused to become a pawn of Kronos. When I refused to help Luke. As if reading my mind, Luke smiled again.  
“Don’t blame yourself Annie. There’s no one to blame but myself.” He thought for a moment, then smiled slightly, “Well, the Gods aren’t exactly innocent either.”  
I laughed lightly, and tears flowed down my cheeks. I gave a jerky head movement of agreement, and Luke took a deep breath. He looked expectantly at Percy, who wordlessly handed him the dagger with shaking hands.  
“NO! LUKE, PLEASE, NO! PLEASE!” Thalia shrieked.   
She sank to the floor, her cries barely audible through the sobs she was choking out. Luke turned to her, pain and regret in his eyes.  
“I never could get it right, could I Thals? I could never seem to keep you safe. But I can now. So that’s what I’m doing. Keeping you safe. Like I should have done a long time ago.”  
Luke gave her one last smile, then plunged the dagger deep into the left side of his upper body, just below his shoulder. He gave an inhumane howl of agony, then collapsed onto the cracked marble floor of the Olympus throne room.  
And in the final moment of his life, his eyes found me, Bright blue eyes.  
Luke’s eyes.


End file.
